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I Forge Iron

Exploding Flux


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Just yesterday a weird phenomenon happened. I was showing my little brother how to forge weld a chain link. I brought it up to a bright yellow heat, wire brushed it and then put flux on it. Put it back into forge. When I brought it out to weld, it was fine or so I thought. As I blew the first light hammer blow, might of a been a bit to hard, but still, the thing sent out a mini shock wave of flame and and made a really, really loud pop or boom noise. This scared him into going inside for the night. Does any one know what happened?

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You got a good forge weld... I used to get a nice gunshot report when I forgewelded quite often, (sadly not so often anymore;-) I would guess it is the metal sealing all the way around the edges of the weld, while there is still flux inside, and then having the flux Forcibly expelled. BUt that is just a dumb guess on my part. I like it when it welds like a gun shot, generally I KNOW I got a good weld when that happens... I like to hit it once or twice more after the POP and then put it back into the fire and reheat it to welding heat, and then reduce the weld to the finished size. Works for me;-)

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I posted a thread somewhere on here about a time when I had water on my anvil. It popped the way Thomas Powers said. I am a Veteran and I get a little jumpy now and then so the pop nearly sent me into hiding :rolleyes: So yeah, it scared the . . . um . . . stuffin' out of me.

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He screamed like my little sister ran into the garage and then came back out when I kept saying something messed up that's all. "It scared the . . . um . . . stuffin' out of him to" lol. But I do have to admit he's 9, but still it would have been something to put on youtube. "Forge Welding" As I forge weld it, and little boom happens, a shockwave of flames, and my little brother screaming like something happened to him. Don't think blacksmithing would look so inviting after that.

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